Trump says he does not oppose Iran having ballistic missiles

As the United States and Iran sign a memorandum of understanding, U.S. President Trump stated that he does not oppose Iran having ballistic missiles, while America's "staunch" ally Israel firmly opposes this.

In an interview with reporters after attending the G7 summit in France on the 17th, Trump said, "If other countries have (ballistic missiles), and Iran does not, that is a bit unfair to Iran." He added, "If Saudi Arabia and Qatar have them, and they do have some, I would say, proportionally, this (Iran having ballistic missiles) is acceptable."

On the same day, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated that Iran's defense capabilities and missile program are "non-negotiable" and will not be discussed with "any party, in any process."

Analysts say that Trump's statement is "vastly different" from his previous position. Since the U.S. and Israel launched military strikes against Iran at the end of February, Trump has repeatedly claimed that the purpose of military action includes eliminating Iran's ballistic missile capabilities. In late March, it was revealed that the Trump administration had handed over a "15-point plan" to Iran aimed at ending the conflict, which included demands for Iran to limit the number and range of ballistic missiles and to commit to never developing nuclear weapons. However, according to the official text of the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding released to the media by senior U.S. officials on the 17th, the issue of Iran's ballistic missiles was not mentioned.

Political analysts believe that although the U.S. and Israel claim to have achieved military success against Iran, it may actually be a strategic failure. This war, originally aimed at "overthrowing the Iranian regime and eliminating its nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities," may have instead made Iran stronger.